Rent
by speaksis2
Summary: Retired from Hollywood, divorced, and owner of a new flower business, Allison Munroe finds herself putting up a cottage for rent. However, her possible client seems a bit familiar... Channy One-shot


**A/N: Geez, it's been awhile since I've written anything. I've written some random short stories or one-shots for other fanfictions, but nothing posted. I've been at camp for a week and before that I had a ton of rehearsal for a play I was in. It's been hectic. I apologize. Anyway, this idea came from me being on vacation. I'm in a Michigan cottage that we're renting. So... the idea just happened. That's it.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Sonny with a Chance or any of the characters. That disclaimer was really boring and plain. **

Allison Munroe combed back her soft brown hair and examined herself in the mirror. Her sleek form was clothed in a flowing yellow sundress. Smiling at herself, Allison ran her fingers through her short cut locks and smoothed her dress.

It was ten years since Allison "Sonny" Munroe had retired from Hollywood, two years after _So Random!_ was canceled due to Condor Studios losing money and eventually shutting down. Sonny was left jobless. She moved in with her long-time boyfriend, the famed Chad Dylan Cooper, and spent her days looking for work. Two years dragged by, Sonny scraping up no jobs but little parts in commercials or extras in a movie. Her relationship with Chad grew worse until Sonny finally ran off while Chad was at a movie shooting, leaving nothing behind.

Sonny flew back to Wisconsin and collected a bit of money left behind from her recently deceased grandmother. She used the money to rent an apartment. Sonny soon heard that Chad Dylan Cooper had quit his starring role in an upcoming movie and had disappeared from Hollywood. He wasn't heard of again.

Sonny managed to start a small flower business, arranging and selling beautiful bouquets. She was back on her feet and begin gaining money again. A few years later, she met a kind man named Ben Renner. Six months after their first date, they were married. Two years later, she filed for a divorce. He had cheated on her with an attractive woman from Texas. Sonny was brokenhearted.

Determined to change, Sonny dropped her nickname and became Allison Munroe. She changed her appearance, cutting her hair. Allison Munroe worked harder at her business and made enough money to buy a small summer cottage in Michigan. Every summer, Allison drove to Michigan and made the small cottage her own, decorating it with flowers and cozy furniture.

Now, three years later, Allison had decided to rent out her summer house for a bit. Business was dropping and she needed the extra money. She put a notice online and waited for clients.

She'd gotten a response, a man looking for somewhere to stay for two months. Two months would accumulate plenty of cash, so Allison readily agreed. The man was scheduled to check out the cottage that day.

Fixing a small vase of flowers, Allison tried to tackle her nerves of meeting the first possible occupier of her darling house. She heard a knock on the glass door and jumped. Smoothing her hair and dress once more, Allison walked to the front door, a smile plastered on her face.

Outside the door stood her first client. He was a man, looking not much older than herself. He had short cut dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His face was round, almost like a child's, but with a tiny accent of stubble on his chin and masculine cheekbones defining his face.

Allison opened the door and greeted the man with a smile. This time the grin was almost instinctual, she couldn't help but smile when she looked at the stranger. He gave her a small smile back and stepped into the house.

"Hello, Ms. Munroe. My name is Dylan Marks." He held out a hand. Allison took it without hesitating and noticed how perfectly and easily their fingers wound together.

"Allison Munroe," she stumbled. "Um, come on in." She led Dylan Marks through the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathroom. They returned to the living room after the small tour. He glanced around at the flowers.

"You like floral decorations, I see," he chuckled. Allison smiled.

"Yes. I own a flower shop in Wisconsin," she told him, gesturing to the couch. He sat down and she sat in a rocking chair across from him.

"Do you like Wisconsin?"

"Oh yes. I was born in Wisconsin." Allison noticed Dylan smiled, but his eyes were far away, as if searching through distant memories.

"Would you like something to drink?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"No, thank you," he answered. They fell again into silence. Dylan looked around the room once more.

"Are you married?" he asked very bluntly. His face look rigid and tense, for reasons she couldn't imagine. Allison considered this a rather rude question to ask a complete stranger, but he seemed comfortable enough around her.

"Divorced, actually." The statement came out short and simple.

"I'm sorry." Allison couldn't help but notice that the man looked slightly relieved at the answer.

"It's fine. I'm over it. Why are you in Michigan for two months?" she fired another light question at him, trying to create an easy conversation.

"My father recently passed away. The funeral will be nearby, as well as some family I'd like to visit and see," the man paused before speaking and almost spoke as if reciting rehearsed lines.

"I'm sorry," Allison repeated what Dylan Marks had recently said. He merely nodded.

Suddenly, the man's sparkling eyes focused on something around her neck. It was a small locket, shaped like a heart. Her teenage sweetheart, Chad, had given it to her on their first anniversary of their first date.

"Where did you get that?" the soft, kind voice was gone. This was demanding and harsh.

"When I was younger. I just found it again today," she lied. Allison wore the necklace whenever she felt nervous or lost. It gave her a warm, sweet feeling.

Dylan stood up and crossed the room in three steps. He grabbed the locked and twisted it around, the inscribed side now facing him.

"To my sunshine," Dylan read. Allison tried to yank the locket back, but his hold was fast.

"Sonny? Sonny Munroe?" the man asked. His eyes met her's and she was stunned at how gorgeous they were... although up close only one blue orb sparkled...

"Chad?" she mumbled, feeling faint.

"I knew it was you. I knew it," Dylan Marks smirked. "I saw your name, Allison Munroe, and had a feeling. So I came. I made up all that stuff about my dad dying. He's living in Florida now, enjoying the sunlight. Why the short hair? What's been happening these past years? How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I've been fine. Why is your name Dylan Marks?" Allison tried to grasp all the concepts being thrown around.

"To drop the press. I couldn't keep the name Chad Dylan Cooper if I wanted to disappear from the world of Hollywood, could I? I used Dylan because, well you know it's my middle name and all, and I took Marks from my mother. It was her maiden name."

"Where did you go?"

"I wanted to stick with acting, but try plays. I flew to Wisconsin... you can guess why." There was an awkward pause as Allison looked down. Finally, Dylan continued, "From there I went to Chicago to pursue the theater there."

"Oh. Did it work?" Allison asked meekly.

"I've been in two productions. Not huge roles, but I've got an audition for another show coming up in a month. Allison, Sonny..." Allison could sense the dreaded question coming up. She winced. "Why did you leave?"

She paused, collecting her thoughts. His eyes were sparkling more now, rimmed with tears. "I couldn't stand it anymore, Chad. You know our relationship was falling apart-"

"We could have fixed it!" Dylan or Chad (Allison didn't know which to call him) interjected.

"Yes, we_ could_ have, Chad. But we didn't! Neither of us was willing to take that risk. I was scared. I felt bad for living in your house with now money to pay you back. So I ran off. I thought you'd understand."

"Understand? _Understand?_" Chad (Allison had decided to call him Chad. Legal papers didn't matter, that was his name) paced back and forth angrily. "You left me with nothing. _Nothing_, Sonny. No note, no message, nothing. I searched the streets for weeks, looking for you. You disappeared without a trace. I was lost without you."

There was a large silence. Chad was stuck in the middle of the rug, looking ragged. His hair had become disheveled and there were tears running down his face. Allison stood up and walked to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest, smelling his Chad smell.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, hoping he understood her. Apparently he did, because he placed his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly as tears formed in her own eyes.

They eventually unwound themselves from one another and stood face to face.

"Why did you look for me for so long?" Allison asked, her voice breaking.

Chad smiled and tweaked her nose. "'Cause you're my Sonny." He brought her head up and kissed her, soft and sweet.

Sonny held him tightly and knew he was right.

**A/N: There we go. I wrote another fanfiction. Win for me. This will stay as a one-shot, I promise. I don't really enjoy future fics that much, but this just called to me. **

** This entire time I was writing I was listening to the musical piece "Flying" from the 2003 version of Peter Pan, which I recently saw on YouTube. Great movie right there. Jeremy Sumpter needs to stop being so darned attractive. That's all. I thought you'd be curious that I listened to a three-minute song about 20 billion times while writing.**

** I love you all. **

** Review please! That little review button is awfully lonely... (wink wink)**


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